This is the greenest machine ever to grace the pages of this newspaper. Literally. And all the more interesting because of it.
The Stelvio is eight years old. Eight years old. When I went and checked if that was actually so, I could not believe it. Eight! It’s a long time for a car to be in production, but it seems the Stelvio is still going to be around a few years longer … and that is very, very good news.
The Stelvio was Alfa Romeo’s first foray into the SUVs and it always had that special something that can only be found in an Alfa Romeo. A lot of it has obviously to do with the way it looks, but there is more to the Stelvio than that. Especially in Quadrifoglio form.
Much of the goodness of the Quadrifoglio is down to a gentleman called Gianluca Pivetti, a Ferrari engineer who was called in to develop the Giulia and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s engine. A ‘Ferrari-derived’ V6 turbo with 510 horsepower catapulted the Stelvio into a different dimension and this high-riding Alfa gained the tagline ‘if Ferrari made an SUV’.
Well, Ferrari have since built their own SUV, but they went with a V12 instead, so most comparisons with the Stelvio make no sense. Also, one costs around €100,000, the other upwards of €500,000.
However, if there is something in common between them is that they are both built for people who love cars. Yes, the Stelvio is an SUV and the SUV is not the logical choice for a petrolhead, but not all SUVs are alike. Quite certainly, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is very different from the rest.
This new, limited-edition, 100° Anniversario is even more special and built in a 100 units-only run to celebrate none other than the hundred years of the four-leaf clover that has adorned the most special racing Alfa Romeos since 1923. At that year’s XIV Targa Florio, Ugo Sivocci won at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo RLTF and the Italian Constructor adopted the good-luck charm as their own. That was on April 15, 1923, exactly 100 years before Alfa showed this special edition for the first time.
The Centro Stile Alfa Romeo has now reinterpreted this historical logo for the Stelvio and Giulia 100° Anniversario with golden touches and a more modern aesthetics. It sits on the front wings of the car and looks fabulous with the Stelvio’s bright colours of Etna Red or Montreal Green.
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is built on the Giorgio architecture, a platform developed by the Italian engineers for the Giulia and the Stelvio with driving dynamics as a priority. For everything that could be improved with both these models, mainly in terms of the quality of some materials and the functions and resolution of the infotainment screens, one thing is certain: the German rivals can only dream of having cars with the agility and sense of connection the Italians have displayed since they were launched all those years ago.
Besides, the Germans will never have a Ferrari engine in one of their cars. The all-aluminium 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 is a powerplant heir to the magnificent lineage of Ferrari’s F154 family of V8s.
The California T, the Portofino and the Roma have used it. So have the incredible 488 GTB and 488 Pista and the F8 Tributo, a car which pays tribute to its very engine nonetheless. Maserati too have put this block into the Quattroporte GTS.
With two cylinders less and adjusted for use under the Stelvio bonnet, the V6 now produces 10 horsepower more than at its launch, for a total of 520 thoroughbred ponies at 6500 rpm. Imagine that: 520 horsepower on a daily car you can take to the shops, with an engine with Ferrari roots and an exhaust note that will have the neighbours red with envy.
For however good the Quadrifoglio is at the mundane stuff though, it’s when you start to let rip through the gears that it shines the brightest. The engine is amazing, the chassis just as good and the four-wheel drive system is the perfect ally for an ideal balance between outrageous performance and absolute control. The eight-speed automatic gearbox is not as fast as a double-clutch unit, but the calibration is so well executed you barely notice it. Especially on downshifts, it feels spectacular.
You want proof? The Stelvio gets to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds. Three-point-nine seconds in an almost two-tonne SUV! Incredible.
There are different drive modes and all kinds of safety and entertainment features to keep up with the times and this updated for 2024 Quadrifoglio felt better in terms of overall quality than any previous Stelvio I had driven.
Every time I parked it, I could not help but look back and stare at it. I am not an SUV kind of guy, but I would just lose my mind – and my money – over the Quadrifoglio, 100° Anniversario or not. In Portugal, that would mean a bank account with €140,000 less. Ouch.
Anyway, if you can, I urge you to be a little poorer. And a lot richer in automotive terms.
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